Walking

People on bike share bikes on bridge with Minneapolis, Minnesota skyline in background

Minnesota Awards Active Transportation Grants

The grants are aimed at helping cities create action plans for improving their bike and pedestrian networks.

January 31, 2024 - KEYC News Now

Bird's eye view of park with green trees, concrete walkways, and benches on lake or riverfront.

Latest Trends in Parks and Recreation

Learn about the top trends impacting parks and recreation, including the use of mobile phone data to track park usage, impacts of climate change, rise of pickleball, a four-day work week, and more.

January 22, 2024 - Parks and Recreation Magazine

Low view of empty crosswalk at night from middle of street with blurred cars speeding by on both sides.

The Vicious Cycle at the Heart of Pedestrian Safety

When people feel unsafe, they walk less; with fewer pedestrians, walking becomes less safe.

December 17, 2023 - Streetsblog USA

Ground-up view of man using wheelchair waiting to board a light blue bus.

Commentary: Avoiding Ableism in 15-Minute Cities

One author calls on planners to challenge assumptions that exclude people with mobility challenges and other disabilities.

November 21, 2023 - The Conversation

Close-up of bike handlebars with smart phone showing Strava app in handlebar holder. Green grass in background.

How Strava Metro Data Inform Planning and Decision-Making

Strava just announced the ten-year anniversary of Metro, a proprietary web platform that provides data insights to partner organizations to make active transportation better for cyclists and pedestrians.

November 20, 2023 - Strava Press

An image of pedestrians walking across the Millennium Bridge toward St. Paul's cathedral in London.

Report: Walking Rates Down in All US States

While walking trips decline, driving is back to near-pre-pandemic levels.

November 3, 2023 - Streetsblog USA

View of Dallas city skyline with moderately busy freeway in foreground at twilight.

How to Reduce Excess Vehicle Travel

Some experts claim that remote work is the most effective way to reduce vehicle travel, but my research indicates that improving and encouraging walking, bicycling, and public transit can provide larger impacts and benefits.

September 8, 2023 - Todd Litman

Workers pouring concrete in wooden mold for new sidewalk

Completing Sidewalk Networks: Benefits and Costs

Many communities have incomplete or inadequate sidewalk networks that fail to accommodate all users. A new study indicates that completing sidewalk networks is one of the most basic and cost effective transportation improvements.

August 6, 2023 - Todd Litman

People walking on crowded New York City sidewalk

A Fair Share for Walking

Most people value walkability, yet most communities underinvest in pedestrian facilities. Some jurisdictions are investing more in sidewalks and crosswalks in order to better serve community values.

July 3, 2023 - Todd Litman

Walking

How Little Do Americans Walk?

Despite the high cost of car ownership, Americans walk less than almost any other nation, even for short trips that could be done on foot.

April 17, 2023 - Streetsblog USA

People walking on the Camino de Santiago trail in Spain

The Joy of Walking

An essay meditating on the simple pleasures of a good walk.

March 28, 2023 - The New York Times

Pedestrian stoplight with green 'walk' silhouette lit up and blurry city buildings in background

Opinion: California Jaywalking Law a Step in Right Direction

A new law doesn’t fully decriminalize jaywalking, but bars law enforcement from issuing citations to pedestrians when crossings aren’t ‘truly dangerous.’

October 11, 2022 - Los Angeles Times

Red Metrorail train in downtown Houston, Texas

Houston Inches Toward Reduced Car Dependency

The city is investing more in biking, walking, and public transit, but a lack of funding and counterproductive moves from the Texas Department of Transportation are slowing the process of shifting away from personal automobile dependency.

August 24, 2022 - Houston Public Media

Pedestrians on a city street

The Freedom To Choose Your Own Pace

An opinion piece highlights the benefits of slow transportation, a luxury seldom available in our speed-obsessed society.

August 17, 2022 - Streetsblog USA

Three people walking on a street while holding paper grocery bags

Vermont Program Encourages Walking for Grocery Trips

A Burlington program is using grocery trolleys to remind residents that, for many of them, a grocery store is less than a mile away.

July 22, 2022 - Burlington Free Press

North Carolina

Charlotte Mobility Plan Centers Improved Multimodal Options and Economic Mobility

The city’s newly approved Strategic Mobility Plan highlights the need for better options when it comes to walking, biking, and public transit, setting a goal to reduce driving to half of total trips.

July 13, 2022 - Smart Cities Dive

Woman with bicycle on train platform

The Business Case for Multimodal Transportation Planning

Travel demands are changing and so should planning. There are good reasons for communities to spend less on automobile facilities and more on walking, bicycling, and public transit. Let’s examine why.

July 6, 2022 - Todd Litman

Pick-Up Truck

Friday Funny: The Onion Satirizes the Federal Government’s Electric Car Fetish

The totally satirical, not-at-all-real website The Onion is back with another planning-related fake news take.

June 24, 2022 - The Onion

High Line park NYC - Manhattan - New York City

Unsurprisingly, People Enjoy Walking More in Safe, Green Spaces

New research shows that people are likely to walk more in places that are both walkable and green.

June 15, 2022 - NCSU News

Mobility App

How One Ride-Hailing Company Is Encouraging a Shift to Micromobility

A small change in the design of ride-hailing apps can make users more likely to choose walking or biking for short trips.

February 27, 2022 - Fast Company

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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.